I've decided to try to make some wooden holds, especially the larger pinches and slopers that are expensive in plastic. Getting the shape isn't too hard with various cutting tools, but I'm having trouble with the texture. Sanding produces a surface that's too smooth. I could use a rasp or other tool to get some 'tooth' in the wood, but that would run the risk of splinters. Any ideas?

I've decided to try to make some wooden holds, especially the larger pinches and slopers that are expensive in plastic. Getting the shape isn't too hard with various cutting tools, but I'm having trouble with the texture. Sanding produces a surface that's too smooth. I could use a rasp or other tool to get some 'tooth' in the wood, but that would run the risk of splinters. Any ideas?

Don't try to texture them. They will smooth out on their own regardless from use and the oils in your hands.

I have a Metolius wooden hangboard. The smaller crimps seemed slippery to me, so I added some very shallow grooves cut with a chisel. I'm far less likely to slip off them, and no splinters.

Of course, with slopes and pinches, you'd have to be very careful about the grooves, because you could make gripping too "easy." Thinking "scratches" rather than "grooves" is probably the right way to approach the problem.

After cutting to rough shape with table saw and sawzall, edges of the wood are pretty rough, and full of splinters, hence the sanding.

For construction grade spruce/pine/fur, I would shape them first with whatever is quickest, then sand smooth with 80 grit to remove splinters. Seems like you have done this already.

Now take anywhere from 6-12 finish nails (6d or 8d) and hold them in a cylinder with the points flat on a table. Tape the outside of the nail cylinder to keep them all in place. Now go over the whole surface of the hold with light hammer blows so that the nail points make 1/16-1/8" deep depressions. Experiment with different strength hammer blows and spacing; get in a rhythm and you'll finish the hold in no time. Hit it lightly with 220x sandpaper and you're good to go, and you can "freshen" the hold up anytime.

Yeah...sand with progressively finer grades of sandpaper, finishing with 400 grit then steel wool. Varnish, steel wool, varnish then finish with a furniture paste wax and a good buff.

Seriously, I had a couple walls in the past and just finished with 80 or 100 grit sandpaper. They occasionally get polished and I'd just re-sand the surface again. I guess it depend upon how hard or easy you want it as well as what type of rock you normally climb on.

After cutting to rough shape with table saw and sawzall, edges of the wood are pretty rough, and full of splinters, hence the sanding.

For construction grade spruce/pine/fur, I would shape them first with whatever is quickest, then sand smooth with 80 grit to remove splinters. Seems like you have done this already.

Now take anywhere from 6-12 finish nails (6d or 8d) and hold them in a cylinder with the points flat on a table. Tape the outside of the nail cylinder to keep them all in place. Now go over the whole surface of the hold with light hammer blows so that the nail points make 1/16-1/8" deep depressions. Experiment with different strength hammer blows and spacing; get in a rhythm and you'll finish the hold in no time. Hit it lightly with 220x sandpaper and you're good to go, and you can "freshen" the hold up anytime.

Do not add any surface finish.

Another option would be to take your sawzall and make light "lines". Mostly parallel surface cuts to say 1/8" deep. Then sand to take off splinters.